There is nothing more unequal than the equal treatment of unequal people.
- Thomas Jefferson

Our Philosophy: Individualized/Customized Education

Each child is unique, and every child has his or her own set of interests, desires, personality characteristics, goals, motivations, strengths and weaknesses. At The Harbour School, we make an attempt to customize our classes to the unique style, needs, abilities and skills of each child. In order to do this, we do some things that are slightly different from many other mainstream schools.

• We keep our class sizes small and our teacher-student ratios high. At The Harbour School, classes are composed of no more than thirteen students and two teachers. In addition, we offer pull-outs for small-group or individual work in areas of specific need or interest. Our high teacher-student ratio allows teachers to individualize the method of teaching to suit the abilities, interests and learning style of each student. Our small class size permits teachers to spend a significant amount of time individually with students, assessing their learning and teaching them strategies that will develop their capability to learn independently.
• We use individual learner portfolios. Every child is an individual; therefore, we believe that each child should have an individual set of academic and social goals. The Harbour School Individual Learner Portfolio is composed through a collaborative effort by the individual child, parents, and teachers, and is designed to be a constant measure of goals, progress and success for each child. Parents, children and teachers can look through a student's portfolio to examine overall academic gains and areas that are marked for specific improvement. The portfolio ensures that all educational goals are being targeted and that the school community is accountable to each student for their continued success.
• Life-wide, project-based learning. At The Harbour School, we provide a wide spectrum of authentic learning experiences in order to develop the intellectual, social and emotional, physical and aesthetic potential of each child through project-based learning. We believe that education is best described as an involvement of the learner with the subject. Our students learn to think creatively and critically, to analyze, synthesize and evaluate new situations and knowledge, and to apply their learning to extend their understanding. With a project-based curriculum, individualization is made simpler as each child approaches a project at his or her own level and incorporating his or her own interests.
• A technology-rich curriculum. Differentiation of interests and skills is made easier through the use of technology integrated throughout the curriculum. Not only are students exposed to evolving technology in their subject areas, learning to use it with ease, confidence and creativity, but they are also enrolled in specific online programs or activities at levels that are appropriate to their academic development. For example, several of our students work independently with the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) for individually-paced programming in areas in which they are significantly advanced. Others work with prepared programs to enhance or encourage skills in areas of weakness.